The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-01
HOPE.

The advent of evil in the history of the
race, was not an unforeseen catastrophe for
which the Creator had made no provision.
On the contrary, it was fully provided for as
an incident in His plans to perfect His chill
dren in righteousness and true holiness.
Provision was made for the recovery of the
fallen race through temptation and sin, and
its restoration to the lost quality of being
and spiritual experience which was enjoyed
before transgressiop. The right to the tree
of life, which was conditioned on holiness of
heart and desire for righteousness of life,
should be restored. The quality of being
and spiritual experience of primitive man
made in the image of GoD was the holiness
[purity] and happiness incident to state of
innocence and undisturbed communion with
GOD. Both the innocence and divine COM
munion were lost by transgression. There
can be no restoration to a state of innocence,
but that quality of being whichis pure, unde-
filed, holy, and the immediate presence and
fellowship of COP, which state of innocence
represents or suggests, may be attained
through righteousness, may be restored
through repentance and forgiveness. By
the discipline and regulation of the faculties
and feelings of the soul, and their COM
plete subsection to the dominion of right
eousness, truth and love, the reign of COP,
holiness of heart and life may be perfected.
Holiness and happiness attained may be the
equivalent of the endowment of holiness and
its consequent happiness; the quality of be-
iYary and ha ha In hia
sense the race, the whole family of mankind,
may be restored to holiness and happiness.
In this conflict he that overcometh and will
obey the commandments, may have right to
the tree of life which is the paradise of COP
Revelation ii. 7; xii ~. Thus is the lost
paradise regained And all this is foreshad-
owed in the scene in Eden. The serpent was
condemned to humiliation and defeat. He
should infiict temporary wound upon man.
kind, "bruise the heel of the seed of the wo-
man." But the seed of the woman should
MORALLY wound the serpent, "bruise his
head" The destruction of evil and the tri-
umph of good are clearly prophesied. The
fulflment of this prophecy is personated in
JESUS, the Son of man, who was manifested
III the nosii tIdt Ho UNCUT AeSlrOy INC WOIho
of the devil Hebrews ii. IA; l John iii. 81 .
He "was in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without SIM Hebrews iy. 15). The story
of the temptation of JESUS (Matthew iv. LID
may be considered as the sequel of the Eden
story. One is the account of the first Adam,
overcome of temptation and banished from
the presence and favor of GOD; the other is
an account of the victory of the second Adam
over all the forms of temptation, and the
ministry of angels that crowned his triumph.
He is the head of every man and the Captain
of our salvation. In Adam all have sinned
and come short of the glory of GoD. In
CHRIST shall all be made alive and attain
unto the stature of his full manhood. and in
fellowship with him and the Father will share
in his glorious rest when he shall see of the
travail of his soul and be satisfied.
Certainly there is something enviable in
this rest of the soul. Nay it may even be the
| glorious reward of the conquest over the in